Observations from Married Life

I have never been one to watch the news. Prior to being married, I lived in a bubble, a bubble where the morning, evening, or nightly news simply did not exist. Neither did televised sporting events. Sure, I might have gone to a SuperBowl party here and there, but honestly I was in it for the commercials. And the food, of course.

As luck would have it, I married a man who is a news and sports junkie. He can watch CNN for hours. And he loves watching almost any televised sporting event. I've even caught him watching bowling tournaments!

When we first got married, his constant news watching really grated on my nerves. Seriously. But after a time, the news became white noise. And then, much to my surprise, and not infrequently to my chagrin, I actually started wanting to watch the news.

Same with the sports. Now granted, I won't voluntarily watch a bowling tournament. Don't ever expect that to change, either, but one never knows. Football, however, I've actually learned to love. So much so that during the AFC Championship game this year, he keep flipping the channels during the game. I finally had to tell him to put the game on and leave it on, as I wanted to watch it. HA! Even as I type that, I can't help but wonder, "who are you?!"

Some might think I'm trying to change myself to accomodate who my husband is. And maybe I am, to some degree. I, however, prefer to call it evolution. After all, don't we all grow, change, evolve over time? And if my husband and I evolve together, won't that ultimately make us a stronger couple?

Here's to healthy evolution!

To iPad, or Not To iPad

Today was THE day. The day Apple fan- boys and girls have been waiting for. Today, the iPad was announced. Now for those of you that haven't a clue what I'm speaking of, the iPad is Apple's version of a tablet computing device. If you believed all the hype, you'd think Apple was re-inventing the wheel, version 2.0. Or perhaps toasting up sliced bread, version 3.0.

Alas, what was unveiled is little more than a BIG iPod touch. The operating system is the same as what is used on the iPhone and iPod Touch. We expected a unicorn, and we got a deformed horse. Seriously. Apple is calling it magical. That's a bit much, particularly for a device that doesn't even support Flash. And I'm a fan, a big fan, of Apple. But I'm also a realist, and I have some gripes about this device. (Feel free to resume your normal facebooking at this time; my writing is by no means that entertaining and this really is just a list of likes and dislikes. My feelings won't be hurt. But if you're interested in knowing what I think is "cool" about the device, and what's "not cool", settle in, get comfy, and read on!)

We'll start with my "not so cool" list:
1. No Flash support. This means no Hulu. We've griped about it for 3 years with the iPhone and STILL no Flash support. Jobsie, what are you thinking?!
2. No camera. While I can concede that the likelihood of my using this device to take pictures or video is slim to none - it's almost a 10 inch device, after all - I did expect to see a forward facing camera for video conferencing and such. Come on Apple, what's the deal here?
3. No multi-tasking, again. Seriously? This means no Pandora while Facebooking. This was another of the big beefs with the iPhone. Does Jobs think mac heads aren't capable of multi-tasking? I'm almost offended.
4. One size fits all. This thing is almost the size of a composition notebook, you know the ones, black cover, college ruled. I understand why Apple chose this size, but I would have liked to see something a bit smaller, maybe 7 inch screen instead of the 9.7 inch we're getting. Why smaller? More portable. When was the last time you read a 1.5 pound book with a page that was 9.75 x 7.5 while lying in bed? Or held a screen that big to watch a movie? I'm not saying 9.7 is too big, I'm simply saying a smaller model would be appreciated. After all, it's all about choices.
5. This one's based purely on a rumor: iBook bestseller titles will be priced $3 to $5 more than on Amazon. That's a LOT. Let's hope Amazon puts out an iPad Kindle app.

And that's it, really. These are my biggest beefs. I haven't actually used one yet so there might be other small quirks I'll find irritating, but at this point, I can only gripe about what I do know.

Now, for the stuff that makes this device a nominee for my next shiny new toy:
1. It's beautiful! The simple lines, the large, crisp screen, the ease of use. What's not to love? (see my "not so cool" list above)
2. The eBook experience looks to be gorgeous. Granted it will likely put undue strain on my eyes, as it's not eInk, but still, it's quite lovely. Virtual page turns, beautiful color graphics.
3. The no contract, reasonably priced wireless data connection. ($30/mo. via AT&T)
4. The magazine/newspaper experience. The New York Times did a demo and what they've done is stunning. Embedded video, stunning color images and your good ol' NYT. Now that's a newspaper experience I can sink my eyes into.
5. Compatibility of most iPhone apps. Imagine Scrabble (or Words with Friends) in local play mode on this thing. No more worrying about the tiles falling off the Scrabble board.

Without actually using an iPad first, this is all I've got on the cool list. Well, this and that it's the newest, latest Apple toy.

Before today's announcement, I knew I'd get one; I was certain of it. Now? Meh... not so sure anymore. Does the cool factor really outweigh the things this device lacks? I honestly don't know anymore. Good thing I have 90 days to think about it.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts of the new toy on the block!
Here's to happy iPhoning, iPod Touching, and finally, maybe, one day soon, iPadding! (HAHAHAHAHA, that just sounds hilarious!)

Guilt and Movitation

I declared today pajama day at my house. This meant we were going to hang out in our PJs all day, effectively making it a lazy Sunday. I had no intentions of working out today, and was completely okay with that.


Then the dog started getting stir crazy. She hadn't been out for a walk or run in at least four days, and she was restless. I tried to ignore it as I lacked all motivation to go work out. I really didn't want to ruin PJ day by putting on my running gear and taking her out for a much needed run (ok, the much needed part is probably more for me than her!)

Finally, knowing I'd been eating junk all weekend and had skipped at least two much needed workouts, I finally dragged myself off the couch and out onto the street, no longer in my jammies and with the dog raring to go. I lacked all motivation for this run, but did it anyway, mostly to appease our sweet girl, Bristol.

As we burned one, then two miles on our excursion, I reflected over how much I had dreaded this run, and on how good it actually felt to be running. I realized that, while I may often lack the motivation to get up off my duff and workout, I never regret it when I do. Yet, inevitably, every time I'm a lazy bum and skip my workouts, I always feel guilty!

I suspect one day I'll actually like working out. For now, I'll just keep reminding myself that the lack of motivation is not worth the guilt that always comes later. And so, I'll keep dragging myself out for a run with Miss Bris, even when I really don't feel like it. Even if it's PJ Day.

Here's to good health!

On Track... So Far

It's officially the middle of January and so far, thankfully, I'm on track to meet at least one of my fitness goals: I ran my first 5K of 2010 last week.

Not a huge deal, I know. Except for the fact that it was 19 degrees outside! I am still surprised I actually made it out to this race, the appropriately named "Snowman Shuffle". It certainly felt like I was shuffling.

Running in that kind of cold is a new experience for me. Who are we kidding, running in general is pretty new to me, as are most experiences involving running. But the cold, well, the hardest thing to cope with was sucking in all that cold air. Only halfway into the run my back started tightening up; since I'd never experienced this before, I figure it was probably just the cold air intake.

Nonetheless, I finished. Official race times indicated I finished about 43 seconds slower than my last race in December. I was disappointed, but hey, I'm blaming the cold for the slower run time. Well, that and the new shoes! :)

Here's hoping my February race is warmer and faster!

Gone Crazy

I've set some goals for this year. Now mark my words, these are not resolutions. They're goals. There's a difference. Don't ask me what it is. Just trust me that there is a difference.

I've been told that it's easier to meet your goals if you take the time to write them down. So today, I'm writing them down. Ready?

1. Run at least one 5K (organized event/race) a month
2. Cycle a Century Ride (100 miles) by July
3. Run at least one half marathon by December 31, 2010
4. Participate in at least one triathlon by December 31, 2010
5. Lose 70 lbs (from current weight; 100 lbs total) by July 18, 2010

Lofty, eh? What can I say, I am nothing if not ambitious.
As I look these over, I think, "I've lost my mind. Seriously. Gone crazy!"
But then I look back over what I've accomplished these last 3 months:

1. Lost 30 lbs
2. Reduced caloric, fat, and carb intake
3. Regained control of my appetite
4. Implemented portion control
5. Completed a 47 mile bike ride (not to mention at least 100 miles in training!)

So, yeah, maybe I've set some lofty goals. But with some serious commitment and hard work, I know I can meet all of them. And if I miss one or two? {shrug} I'm okay with that, 'cause I'll know I at least tried.

Here's to losing one's mind and good health!

A [Non] Resolution

First, I should tell you, I don't make resolutions. Especially the new year variety. It's been my experience that resolutions wind up getting broken within the first week, or, at the very latest, within a month. So I figure, why bother?

These last few days, however, I've been taking inventory, stock; looking back over the last year and assessing what needs to be different.

Here's what my self examination turned up: I have this bad habit of using society as a measuring stick for, well, pretty much everything. Society has a way of dictating what is successful: do I drive the right car, have the right house, wear the right clothes, work at the right job? And we won't even discuss how society drives self-image: am I thin enough? Pretty enough? THIN ENOUGH?

I know many of you are aware that I've been working pretty hard over the last three months to get fit. Please know that this is more about being healthy, less about conforming to society's standards. But I'd be lying if I said that I have never been caught up in the madness of trying to "keep up with the Joneses." And it is definitely madness.

Therefore, this year, I have decided to stop seeing myself in relation to others, but rather, see myself in relation to God. After all, He created me in HIS image. If you stop to think about it, that's pretty powerful.

And because self-image seems to drive so much in our lives, my new measure of what I want to look like will be driven by the words of 1 Peter 3:3-4:

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

I don't want to make this a resolution though. Kind of like the whole getting fit thing, it's not something I'm going to do until I reach my goals and then stop. It has to be a whole lifestyle change. Or, in the case of my [non]resolution, a whole change of thinking, feeling, being.

Please know, this doesn't mean I will donning a sack cloth or anything drastic like that. What it does mean is that I will try less to conform to society's standards, and work harder at pleasing God. After all, when you stop to think about it, He's the only one that really matters.

Happy new year and here's to good [physical, mental and spiritual] health!

Feeling Like a Slug

I haven't worked out in a few days. Practically the whole week in fact.
And I've been eating badly. Food that no longer sits well with me, and for that matter, I've lost a taste for.
Things like chicken tenders and onion rings. Blech. I don't eat much of this stuff, mostly because I get full really quickly and because it just doesn't taste good.

The result of this last week? I feel like a slug.

Worst part is, I have a 5K a week from today. I haven't even been training for it. Terrible, I know.
I've got to get back into my routine, or I will be paying the price come next Saturday.

The good news is, I survived the holidays without gaining any weight! Now, it's time to get back to work. I still have 72 pounds to lose, and a plethora of fitness goals to reach.

Happy new year, folks, and here's to good health!